Tears of an Heiress
by xHallowedFangirlx
Summary: Phantom Lord has successfully captured Lucy and brought her to her father. Will her team be able to save her or will she be stuck as heiress forever?
1. Chapter 1: Capture!

**It's the battle with Phantom Lord. Basically everything before what I have written is the same as the anime/manga, except Makarov is not healed in time to defeat Master Jose. Enjoy!**

* * *

"NATSU!" she screamed. The blonde celestial mage looked on in horror as she watched her best friend being thrown across the room. He was covered from head to toe with bruises and blood. The iron dragon slayer obviously had the advantage over him considering the fact that he had just finished eating his element, iron, a few minutes ago. Her own injuries from a few minutes before were completely forgotten as she watched the scene before her. She stood there feeling completely helpless, unable to do anything.

"He needs to eat fire," she said, realizing it was the only way he had a chance of beating the iron dragon slayer. Her hand immediately went to her pockets, searching for her keys. "Fire, fire...do I have a fire spirit?" she murmured. "Oh yeah, I lost my keys.." she realized, remembering she dropped the ring that held her beloved spirits after the rain woman had captured her. "Wait…. SAGITTARIUS!" The zodiac key she received from Galuna Island was still in her pocket after all that time. She hadn't made a contract yet but she hoped he'd be able to create fire. Pulling it out, she cried "I am linked to path to the world of celestial spirits. Now, O spirit, answer my call and pass through the Gate! GATE OF THE ARCHER, I OPEN THEE! SAGITTARIUS!"

There was a bang of bright light causing Lucy to shield of her eyes. She removed them after a few moments and stared at what was standing before he.

It was a man, a man dressed as a horse. She supposed that he was supposed to be a centaur but that was beyond the point.

"Hello to you, Moshimoshi," the horseman said, saluting the air.

"It's a man dressed as a horse!" Happy said in surprise

"Sagittarius, can you shoot fire?" Lucy asked hopefully. However just as he was about the answer the room shook. There was a loud bang as the horseman suddenly disappeared, a look of surprise on his face. Lucy screamed as the floor beneath her fell apart. She felt someone lift her up and noticed that the little blue cat was attempting to bring her to safety. Smiling up at him gratefully, she looked out to view the situation. However, what she did find made her gasp.

* * *

She could see the guild hall in distance, well, what used to be the guild hall. There were people fighting off the shades out in front. She could make out a few faces like Cana, Bisca, Alzack, Loke, Macao and Wakaba. She stared in horror as they were slowly being outnumbered.

"No..." she softly cried. She looked downwards toward the building and noticed some memebers, she couldn't make out who, engaging in their own battles along the sides of the building. She wondered where Gray and Erza were. She hoped they were alright.

Not wanting to witness their battle, she looked at the mess under her in hope of finding Natsu. The floor beneath them was in ruins. Half of it was gone while the other half was largely cracked, barely staying steady and in place. She finally saw him lying unmoving in the middle of the floor.

"Natsu…." she choked out. He was bound in what looked like purple wispy chains on the floor. She heard a dark menacing laugh from a corner of the room and gasped when she turned to find Master Jose strolling in, and evil grin on his face.

"Why hello, Ms. Heartfillia," he said looking up at her.

"No…" Lucy whispered, her face full of terror.

He looked away toward his strongest guild member. "Gajeel." he acknowledged, nodding his direction. His grin, however, turned into a frown as he saw what was lying before his feet.

"Hmph," he scoffed. As he kicked his side. Natsu yelped as he continued to kick him and tighten the bonds around his body, twisting him into an unnatural position.

"NO! NATSU! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" his partner screamed from above his head, looking down in horror.

"Ah, of course Ms. Heartfillia," she laughed with a final kick in his side. "Anything to please the target."

"Happy, take Lucy and run..." she heard Natsu say as he slowly looked up at them. "They will try and take her again."

Realizing what was about to happen, Happy obeyed and tried to fly Lucy away but Gajeel stuck an iron pole in his direction, sending the poor cat and mage tumbling toward the ground screaming.

Groaning in pain, she attempted to pull herself off the ground. She realized how beat up she was after her torture session with Gajeel as she coughed up blood. Willing herself to stand up, she looked down at her broken body for the first time and grimaced when she saw her skin was more purple than white at this point. Purple gashes and bruises darkened her legs with blood while her arms were cut and torn up from taking a majority of Gajeel's previous attacks whenever she went to block her face. Her clothes were completely torn up, the only thing being covered was her chest and hips. Noticing the pain for the first time since Natsu had entered the room, she fell to her knees in an attempt to hug her stomach. Glancing toward her right, she saw Happy running toward her, jumping on her lap once he had reached her.

"Lushi…" Happy whispered, staring at her face. "You need to run. Summon Sagittarius to get you out of here and I'll get Natsu."

"Absolutely not!" Lucy cried out. She rose to her feet and attempted to run to Natsu.

"Now now, Ms. Heartfillia," Jose drawled. "Come near him and I'm afraid I'll have to kill both him and the cat."

"Lucy...don't," she heard Natsu groan, attempting to remove his restraints. "I can take him."

"Now let's not kid ourselves, Mr. Dragneel," Jose laughed. "It's two to one and you can't even stand."

"Yes I can…." he growled as he rose up, somehow fighting Jose's magic bonds . "ROAR OF THE…" he started before yelling in surprise as an iron sword struck his sending him flying back.

"Shut it, Salamander," Gajeel ordered, a menacing look in his eyes. "I already defeated you."

"Thank you, Gajeel," his master said, turning to face Lucy again. "Now stay there, boy. I'm going to take your little girlfriend with me."

With that, Gajeel lunged at Lucy and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her along the floor towards his master.

She let out a scream of pain as Happy was sent backwards flailing his arms. Once he had reached Jose, he threw her down hard. She was starting to see stars as she attempted to stand up again, only to fall back down. She was vaguely aware of her partner screaming her name.

"I'll go with you," she coughed up. "Just stop the attack, please. Let all my friends go."

"Hmm" he pondered, stroking his mustache. "Not that you're in any position to make negotiations, but I'll do it. The elemental four are already down and I've tortured your friends long enough."

Grinning at Lucy's widened eyes, he turned toward Gajeel. "Carry her to the carriage" he ordered. "It's time to bring Lucy Heartfillia home."

* * *

 **Hey guys (if anyone is even reading this). This is my first published fanfic. I don't know when I'll update, I guess it depends on how many people read and review it. For sure by the end of this weekend tho. I hope you enjoy it!**


	2. Chapter 2: Journey to the Estate!

Lucy groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her whole body ached from the fight earlier and she could hardly feel her arms or legs. She vaguely remembered passing out after being dragged by Gajeel. Sitting up, she looked around her. She seemed to be in a pitch black carriage. The windows were drawn, probably so no one would see them, and her hands were tied behind her back. Across from her sat Guild Master Jose and Iron Dragon Slayer Gajeel. They were staring at her as she woke up; Gajeel looked bored while Jose seemed amused.

She tried to recall what had happened and started to panic. No no no no!, she thought. They are bringing me back to the my father. I can't go back! I CAN'T!

Jose stared at her, a smirk resting on his face. He seemed to notice her distress.

"There's nothing you can do now," he teased. "We are bringing you back to your father."

"Please no, you don't have to do this." Lucy started to squirm in her seat in an attempt to free herself.

Jose merely looked amused. "You have no way to escape Ms. Heartfillia. You no longer have your spirits and you are on the verge of passing out again."

She stopped moving after hearing this. Afterall, he was right. Lucy's bruises seemed to have gotten worse and her clothes were in tatters. On top of that, she seemed to have dropped Sagittarius's key somewhere since her pocket felt light. It seemed her only resort was to escape.

"Please don't do this, I can't go back." She slowly started to undo the ropes around her arms. Hoping to distract them, she continued. "I ran away about a year ago to escape him. To escape my father. To escape my responsibilities and duties as an heiress. I never wanted the fancy clothes, the balls, or the servants. I only wanted to hone my magic, like my mother. I finally left in hope of joining Fairy Tail. My dream guild! It has been a year and my father never looked for me so I hoped I was free. Except now…" her voice trailed off. She could feel tears running down her face but she didn't try to hide them. She looked up at the two men in front of her, hoping, yet not expecting, to receive a sympathetic look from one of them.

However, they both acted like they couldn't care less. Gajeel even seemed to be sleeping.

She continued on, still undoing the ropes. "Besides, the magic council will be pissed at you. You violated the council's laws and you will be punished for your attack upon Fairy Tail. And even after that, Fairy Tail will continue to attack you until you return me." This brightened her up, she was sure her family would come and save her. "However, using my status as an heiress, I'm sure I could get you off scott free….if only you let me go."

"Oh? Was that an attempt to get sympathy? I can assure you, I don't care about your problems. Anyway, as soon as we return you to your father, you are out of our hands, girl. I don't care what happens to you after. Run away if you please, we were only hired to return you. Actually, if you run away, I have no doubt your father will once again hire us to return you again. Only more money for us! As for the council, they are nothing. I bet the most that will happen is a fine. They are too cowardly to go up against one of the Ten Wizard Saints, the Iron Dragon Slayer, and the Elemental Four. So, bribery is useless." He laughed at the look of shock on her face.

Just then, Lucy managed to undo her bonds. Neither Gajeel or Jose seemed to notice tho. She waited a few minutes for them to lose interest in her. Suddenly she pulled her hands apart, jumped up, and threw herself at the door. She managed to open it and nearly jumped out before she was pulled back in. She yelled in surprise as she was thrown back on her seat, a scowling Gajeel towered over her.

"Thank you, Gajeel," Jose drawled. "We can't afford to lose you, Ms. Heartfillia. No no no. Not at the reward your father has offered us for your return. I wish you would just cooperate with us tho. Then there would be no need for violence." He nodded toward Gajeel and last thing she saw was an iron pole headed straight toward her face.

* * *

"You are not going after her, Natsu. And that is final."

Natsu had just finished informing everyone that Lucy was back in Phantom's clutches. After gathering everyone back at the remains of the guild, he demanded that a rescue team be sent for Lucy. He would've preferred to have just gone after her himself but he was to torn up and completely out of magic power. Besides, Happy was in no condition to fly and he had no idea where Phantom had taken her.

" But Erza," he yelled. "Who knows what they are doing to her! That iron freak is probably beating her again! Or she is already back at her estate! She can't go back, she hates it there! We need to go, we need…"

Before Natsu could finish his sentence, he was sent sprawling across the floor. He groaned in shock as he pulled himself up. Erza was standing in front of him, she looked furious. Normally he would have cowarded back in fear of the scarlet mage, but this was Lucy he was talking about. Tears started to stain his face. He could not let his partner be taken.

Happy was flying nearby. Tears streaked his face. "Natsu…" he sobbed.

Erza's face softened after seeing Natsu in this state. She knew Natsu and Lucy were good friends and anyone could see how worried he was for her. Walking toward him, she pulled him into a big hug, knocking his head on her armor.

"She will be fine, Natsu. I promise. We know that her father payed Phantom to return her alive, not dead. This mean they will safely take her to her father's estate. No more harm should come to her anymore."

He pulled away from her as he rubbed his head. "Ow…" he muttered.

She ignored this. "We must wait for Master to awake and then inform the Council. After that, we will find Lucy. I promise."

Natsu nodded and stared at her for a moment. Then suddenly, he ran full speed away from everyone, rushing to find his partner. However, his wounds stopped him and he fell flat on his face.

Sighing, Erza nodded toward Cana. The card holder sighed as she pulled out a card. She raised one over Natsu, who was attempting to get up.

"Sleep," she murmured. A green mist surrounded Natsu as he fell to the floor, a look of betrayal on his face before he hit the floor.

* * *

 **Hey guys! Sorry, I was going to post this yesterday, but then I saw the new Fantastic Beasts twice and then had a severe depression(I need help). What do you guys think? I hope you like it. I'll probably post on Thanksgiving(ish). Comments and criticism are welcome!**

 **Thanks to Nachtfuchs for being my first follower(and only reviewer) of the story!**

 **Also thank to SecretAddition and xMiyazono for favoriting. Plus any any followers.**


	3. Chapter 3: Arrival!

Lucy awoke to a brutal slap in the face. She shrieked and next thing she knew, she was lying flat on her face. She groaned, confused on what had just happened. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking around to her surroundings wondering where she was. There were many beautiful green hills, far as the eye could see before her. The sun was glistening a radiant shade of pink and orange just over the hills. The grass was very green and looked well kept. There were many fountains and houses leading to the hills that would give anyone the impression that they were in a town However, she recognized this sight all too well considering she woke up to it everyday for about 6 years. She groaned and grabbed her head. It was throbbing from the many thrashings she had taken…when? She had no idea how long she had been out after Gajeel had knocked her out. It was clearly early morning based on the sun's position so she had probably been out of it for awhile. Come to think of it, she had been unconscious before that as well. Damn she thought. How long have I been knocked out? It normally took about a day to get to the estate so she figured she had been unconscious all night.

The estate! she realized in a panic. She had been so concerned over her condition that she completely forgot where she was. She jumped up, all pain forgotten and ran around to the other side of the carriage. And there it was, the place she had lived for 6 whole years. Her home. No, she corrected. Not my home. My prison. The Heartfillia Estate could never be called her home. She had no good memories of the place, they were all at her old house, they house they lived st before her mom had died. The years after her death were torture. The endless responsibilities and duties would eventually drive her away to find Fairy Tail. The guild! She was so wrapped up in her problems that she had forgotten about them. The last she saw them they were being overrun by Phantom and Natsu and Happy had been in critical condition when she was taken. Lucy desperately hoped that her partner and cat would be alright. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Gajeel left the carriage and had walked up behind her.

"Oof" she grunted as she hit the floor. Her face once again came into contact with the rough dirt. "I really need to stop kissing the ground" she muttered. She angrily turned around to the dragon slayer behind her. "And you," she glared, "need to control your anger. You've been using me as a punching bag since we met."

His eye gleamed at this challenge. "Geehee. What was that blondie? You wanted another one?" He raised his arm, a iron sword replacing this arm. Lucy covered her face, bracing herself for another attack.

"Lucy?" an older voice spoke out. Lucy looked up in surprise. She recognized this voice. It was a voice that she heard almost everyday for as long as she could remember. Gajeel also seemed surprise as looked up.

There, standing before her, was one of the estate's servants. She was old and looked worn out. Her purple hair was tied behind her back and she had a broom in her hand. An apron was tied over her dress and dirt streaked her face. She stared at Lucy, mouth open and tears running down her face. Suddenly, before Lucy could greet her, the woman rushed to the blonde.

"MADAME LUCY!" she wailed, running into her with such force that she almost fell over. Lucy smiled as she embraced the woman.

"Hello Mrs. Spetto," she said warmly. "How are you?" However, before Mrs. Spetto could answer, a mob of people stampeded out the front doors. Lucy gaped in surprise as a crowd of people surrounded her, crying out her name. All her old friends were there, Mr. Ribbon, Old Man Belo, Ms. Aed, and all her old servants. Lucy had come to think of them as friends over her time spent at the estate. She talked to them everyday since she had no one else and grew to care for them. Then one day she left without telling any of them. So, seeing them all in tears before her feet sent a wave of guilt through her. They were all asking questions, where she had been, why she left. Mrs. Spetto was still clutched to Lucy tho, crying over how happy she was that she could see her again. Sometime during that time, Gajeel had stepped back, a look of disgust on his face as he witnessed the reunion scene before him. Lucy was about to answer all their questions when a maid suddenly appeared.

"M'lady, m'lord requests your presence," she announced, her voice shaking. She suddenly looked toward Gajeel, "...and m'lord said he will be with with you presently."

Lucy gently pried Mrs. Spetto off of her and stood up. She nodded in acknowledgement to the maid and turned around to face the dragon slayer. She glared at him one last time before spitting on the ground before him. This caused gasps of everyone surrounding her. She smiled and walked away, safe in the knowledge that he could not harm her on these grounds.

"You look lovely Miss Lucy," a made gushed.

"Is it too tight?" another asked. Lucy smiled at her maids, assuring them the dress was fine. She turned into the mirror and stared at her reflexion. She wore makeup on her face to cover all the gashes and her blonde hair was tied up with a few loose streaks framing her face. The dress was made of dark pink lace with a white sash tied around her waist. There were light pink ruffles along the long sleeves and circling her chest. The dress stopped before her shoulders and almost touched the ground. Lastly, she wore a lacey pink choker that matched her dress with pink flats you could hardly see. However, she noticed that the elaborate outfit had seemed a little small on her. Oh ya. I grew a little the past year, she realized. Had it really been that long since she ran away, since she had her last dress fitting? She turned to look at her room; it was just as she left it. A queen sized bed with white covers stood in the center of the room; a dresser on each wall and many bookshelves. She walked over to a window that had a small bench right below it. She remembered how would always sit on the bench to read whenever her father wasn't pestering her with responsibilities. Every night after dinner, she would sit and read under the light of the moon and stars. She would read books ranging anywhere between fiction and history. She loved reading all types of books; the many cases of bookshelves proved that. She was reminiscing over teen years spent at the mansion when someone knocked. Lucy told them to enter and a butler appeared at the door. He stared at Lucy as if unable to comprehend her return and then said,

"Your father would like to speak with you now. He has finished his business with Phantom Lord." Phantom Lord...Lucy had forgotten about them. She never even saw Master Jose after she woke up. She supposed he had been sitting in the carriage threw the whole ordeal. She nodded toward the butler and he walked out. She started to follow him out the door.

Lucy walked slowly down the hallway. Nothing seemed to have changed the past year. Pictures and plants were still in place and all the furniture was neatly dusted. As she walked through the hallway, many memories flashed through her head. She passed the room where she used to do her celestial training with Old Man Belo everyday. She saw the washroom where she would always summon Aquarius. Aquarius may be the most moodiest of her spirits, but she would give anything to have her next to her right now. Afterall, she was her oldest friend and had endured all the time spent at the estate with Lucy. Thinking of her spirits made Lucy sad. She had dropped her hook of keys somewhere near the guild hall; Sagittarius's key had been left at left somewhere in the remains of Phantom after her capture. Now, she would probably never see them again. Suddenly Lucy stopped, she had arrived at her father's study. The doors seemed to tower over her as she stood there. She knocked and heard a deep voice say, "Come in." Lucy took a deep breath, swallowed, and opened the doors to her father's study

* * *

Natsu paced around his partner's apartment. He was worried out of his mind for her. He knew how much she hated the estate. She had told him everything after he saved her from Jose's clutches. She told him that she was actually a rich heiress whose father owned the Heartfillia Railways. She spent years carrying out duties in replace of her mother after she died. She seemed on the verge of tears the entire conversation which told Natsu how much she hated it. If he had it his way, he would have immediately rushed out to save his partner. However, a certain scarlett haired mage was preventing him from it. He glared across from where he was standing at the equip mage. She sat on Lucy's couch sipping tea, Happy sleeping next to her. Natsu was infuriated by her. How could she not care that one of her guildmates, one of her nakama, was in peril and not do anything about it. He recalled the previous day's event. He had burst into the guild to tell everyone Lucy had been kidnapped again. He assumed that Erza or even Gray would be more than willing to accompany him to save his friend. That, however, was not the case. The last thing he had remembered of yesterday's conversation was Cana standing over him as he lay on the floor. She had an apologetic look on her and she stood over the fire mage and whipped out a green card. That had been the last thing he remembered. He then woke up earlier that day in a room that was temporarily being used as the guild's infirmary. Happy had been standing next to him, a worried look on his face, while Gray sat in one of the chairs, a scowl on his face. Natsu resisted every urge he had to demolish the ice mage and jumped out from under his covers to rush toward the door.

"Woah, woah, slow down there, pyro." Gray had jumped in front of the door, using his body to block Natsu from leaving.

"Out of my way, Ice Princess" he snarled. Natsu had been furious that Gray didn't care about saving Lucy. If he had known that no one wanted the celestial mage back, he would have rushed after her when he had the chance instead of returning to the guild. "I need to save my friend."

"I know, I know." he shook his head in defeat. "Trust me, I want her back just as much as you do."

"Then why are you stopping me from leaving?" he snarled.

The ice mage held his hands up. Natsu noticed that somewhere in that conversation he lost his shirt. "Erza made me. I know I have no chance against her and I'm smarter than provoking her." He smirked, probably recalling the previous day's events where she had beat his ass.

Natsu growled but said nothing in response to his tease. Any normal day he would've probably beaten him. However, Lucy was his main concern right now. He pushed past Gray and ran out the door, only to run into a certain equip mage. She had looked surprised to see Natsu awake and smiled down to him, patiently explaining how he could not leave, considering the Council would arrive soon and would probably want to talk with him. When he had refused, insisting to go save Lucy, Erza had towered over him, yelling that under no condition was he to go after her. To ensure this, Erza had made it her responsibility to follow him all day. Natsu had eventually convinced Erza to let him visit Lucy's apartment. It was, afterall, one of the places he felt safest as. That led them to where they were now. As Natsu stood there, thinking of the previous events, a scowl grew on his face.

"What?" Erza asked, noticing his face.

Natsu glanced up at her. "Nothing, but…" He hesitated, not wanting to anger her. "Do you not care about Lucy? Do not want to rescue her?"

Erza pursed her lips. She stood up and walked over to Natsu. "Of course I do," she said, putting a hand on his shoulders.

"Really? Cause it doesn't seem like it," he shot back. Her face darkened, a frown appearing on her face. That was it, he thought. I crossed the line and angered her. He prepared himself for a slap or something violent, only to be surprised when a hand touched his shoulder.

"I can't let you leave, Natsu. Not on your own. I would go with you without any hesitation had Master been awake. You are in no state to go on your own and I have to deal help the guild and deal with the Council when they arrived." She backed up to the couch to sit down next to a sleeping Happy. "Once Master awakes, he will probably send you, Happy, Gray, and I to go after her. If not, we will go anyways. I promise."

He merely nodded. You better, he thought.

* * *

 **Hey guys! I'm so sorry this, this is so late. I know I said I would post on Thanksgiving but life got in the way and last night I decided to screw homework and stayed up till midnight writing this. *mutters about stupid school and work* Anyways I hope you enjoy this!**

 **Thanks to Nachtfuchs for reviewing! You are totally right, she should have just kicked Jose where it hurt, I totally forgot about that! Kinda wish I had used it! :)**

 **Also thanks to FeebleHearts for reviewing! I'm gonna be totally honest here, I got so excited when I saw you following my story. Your Operation: Kidnap Lucy was one of the first Fairy Tail fanfics I ever read and inspired me to write and publish one instead of keeping my ideas in my head. Everyone should go check out her or his story(cuz we don't assume genders here). It's great!**

 **Thanks to Black Hearts24, FAIRY4LIFE, Secret Addition, and XMiyazono for favoriting! Plus any followers!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Meeting!

Lucy stared at the looming doors with the knowledge that the man who held her fate was behind them. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors and walked in. She stood in the doorway for a few seconds, her dad was sitting behind his desk, writing on some parchments. He didn't look up when she appeared at the doors.. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly walked towards him, each step seeming to get heavier and heavier. When she reached the desk he still had not looked up at her. She gave an awkward cough to show her existence, but he still made no movement towards her, his pen scratching the parchment. She started to awkwardly fiddle with her dress and looked around the room. She noticed it was the same as when she left. She had always hated his office, even worse than the room meant to honor her mom. At least in there she had the comfort of feeling her mom's presence, even though it hurt like hell anytime she saw a picture of her. This room though, there were no good memories here. She used to always report here whenever her father needed her. Their conversations were always minimal, normally it was just to report something or to give her a new responsibility in order to prepare her for the future. He never asked how she was or anything about her life. Business. That's all their relationship was. By the way they addressed and talked to each other, anyone who didn't know better might think she was his apprentice or something. He always disapproved of her doing anything for fun. Afterall, 'she needed to learn to run an empire' her father had always put it. That may have been one of the reasons she had no friends. That along with the fact that there was no one her age for miles and miles. In fact, she didn't have any friends besides her spirits and servants before she joined Fairy Tail. She was used to being alone and closing herself off. However, that had all disappeared the second she met Natsu. Any walls she had unconsciously formed after her mother's death disappeared when she met her new family. Oh how she missed them! Perverted tendencies aside, Master acted more like a father to her than her real dad ever had. No..she thought. That's not true. He was fine before mother died. After mother died, he pulled a 180. I remember he used to read me a story every night before bed. Mother would sing to me as well. He was a good dad then. Lucy was deep in thought, recalling the past, when she heard the man sitting before her cough. Startled, she looked up. She had been so lost in thought that she had completely forgotten about the man who was sitting before her. She stared at him as he stood up and looked at her.

"Welcome home, Lucy."

She made no reply. He seemed unfazed and turned around to face the window. She was not surprised. He never looked at her while addressing her. Probably because he thought of her as one of his servants. No one important, only someone to be used as a tool to expand his business.

"I'm sorry I had to take such unpleasant measures to retrieve you," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "It was necessary that you return."

"How did you know where I was?" was all she said.

He shrugged. "I didn't. A year ago, I realized you ran away but I never had any reason to send for you or find you so I just let you be." Lucy clenched her fists at that. "However, it was vital you return so I sent out requests for any information on your location. However, I figured you would go to Magnolia because you had always talked about it. Not sure why you would want to go to that dump of a city though."

Lucy's jaw dropped at that. Didn't he know that mom had always loved Magnolia? It was one of the reasons Lucy had left. Not just in hope to join Fairy Tail, but to visit the place her mom had always talked about. She had always told Lucy about wanting to visit the Rainbow Sakura yet never went. Lucy had always wonder why. However, Lucy had never told her dad about her own dreams to visit the city her mom had loved. She never told anyone about wanting to join Fairy Tail.

"Do you know why I had you retrieved?" he asked. Lucy shook her head. "A marriage has been proposed by the Julenelle family. The prince of Sawalu, Sawarr Julenelle, is to be your husband. Do you remember him?"

Lucy said nothing. Of course she remembered him. He was an older man with perverted tendencies. She met him about two years ago at a party and he had shown a large interest in her.

Her father continued. "This marriage will be very beneficial to us and has tremendous value to our future. By marrying into the Julenelles, we will now be able to expand the Heartfilia Railways into the south."

Lucy was not surprised by her father's reasoning behind her retrieval. Of course it was for a marriage. Why else would he need her? All he ever cared about was expanding his business and increasing their profits.

"And lastly, you must give birth to a son," he finished. "That way we can continue our family name."

Lucy said nothing.

"The wedding will take place in two days."

Still nothing.

"You may go now," he said, clearly dismissing her.

Only Lucy didn't leave. She had always been more than happy to leave whenever her father dismissed her in the past. Only not this time. This time, she would stay.

"I will not." Her voice ran out, clear and strong.

Only now did he turn to her as this whole time he had been facing the window. He raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I will not marry Sawarr. I will not give birth to a son anytime soon and I am not your servant waiting to do your bidding. I am your child. Do not think for one moment that you can control my life. Just because you raised me and brought me back does not mean I will comply to your demands. I am not a damsel in a tower waiting for her prince. I am a member of Fairy Tail. Best friends with a dragon and cat. Close friends of a ice-mage and fairy. They are my real family. Not you; a sorry excuse for a father. I will break this stupid tradition of marrying into wealthy families just for the money. I will choose who I marry based on who I love thank you very much."

He father stared at her. He had an eyebrow raised and a bored expression on his face.

"I will return to Fairy Tail and grow as a person and wizard. I have friends who I love dearly and who love me back. I will not leave my best friends to marry a man I've met once. Come after me and I assure you, you will make an enemy out of someone you don't want to." She turned to leave and took a step toward the door. "Goodbye, father."

"Go ahead."

She stopped in her tracks, her ears not believing what she just heard. "What?"

"You think you can just leave? Go ahead. Leave and I can guarantee you'll still be back this time tomorrow. I will just send Phantom again to retrieve you."

She whirled around. "You wouldn't." She knew better. Of course he would.

"I would. I will do anything to keep you here. If you go back to Fairy Tail, then it is my job to use my money and influence to crush that guild. Phantom did well the first time. I'm sure they would be more than willing to return you for double the price of last time. Afterall, they did seem to enjoy beating up the guild." Lucy stared at him in horror. "You may not work for me but I do have control over you."

Lucy was terrified at the thought of her family members being attacked again. Based on what she had seen before she left, they could not afford to be attacked again. She thought back to Natsu's beating he had taken by Gajeel. Ezra's and Master's unconscious state. All her friends fighting just for her sake. She couldn't bare to be the cause of their suffering. Afterall, what sort of family would she be if she caused others to suffer for her sake. She would not be like her father.

"What will it be?" he asked.

She tried her last hope. Looking at the floor, she whispered, "Mother would want me to do what I want. You know that."

Jude's face contorted. He looked furious for what seemed like forever. They stared at each other and eventually his face returned to the bored expression he wore earlier. "Layla isn't here anymore."

Lucy's heart sank. She knew better than to push it. Taking about mom around dad was like sitting on a bomb; it would end nasty. She glared at him. "If I stay, do you promise not to attack them again."

"There would be no point, money would be wasted," he simply said. "I would take your keys in order to ensure you don't escape, but," he raised his eyebrows and looked at the hip that normally wore her keys. "It would seem you don't have them."

Lucy huffed at him, not wishing to remember that she dropped her keys.

"The Julenelles will be here in two days for a party along with many guests. Afterall, it is customary that the son escorts his future wife to her new home. After that, you will be married in Sawalu. I expect you to learn their customs within the next two days."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was going to get married. Not even eighteen years old yet about to married to an old pervert. Soon to have a child...no no! I can't do it! I can't get married! I'm not ready! She started to panic.

She calmed down as her thoughts wandered to her friends. She would not let them be hurt again. Afterall, it was her fault her for the first attack. She would do anything to protect them.

Lucy turned around. She saw a picture hanging on the wall. Her mom, dad, and herself were all smiling at the whoever was painting. A doll was being cradled in Lucy's hand. She wondered what happened to that doll. She remembered going on adventures with her doll, Gonzales. They always pretended to fight bad guys. She always had to pretend to be brave.

It seems this time I will have to be brave for real. Be brave for them!

"I will marry Prince Sawarr," she whispered. "I will give birth to a son all so you may expand the railroads, father."

He nodded. "I'm glad you understand, Lucy. You've grown up." He turned back around toward the window. "You may leave now."

Lucy nodded. After bowing, she slowly walked out of the study and closed the doors. She walked back to her room, ignoring the many servants who were staring at her. She figured that Natsu and Happy would eventually try and come for her. This made her panic.

They can't come, they could get injured!

By the time she entered her bedroom, she had a solution. She would write a letter to Fairy Tail, explaining everything that had happened and warning them not to come for her. She would then give the letter to a messenger and have it mailed to Magnolia by morning.

Oh guys, I'll miss you. Especially Erza, Gray, Happy, and Natsu. She sighed. She would've given anything to see her partner's stupid face one more time before she left. Grabbing a sheet of paper and picking up a pen, Lucy began to write.

* * *

 **Hey guys! This one just focused on Lucy because it was pretty long. I'm kinda proud on how it turned out. Once again I'm neglecting my homework just for you guys! Finals are next week though so I should probably be more responsible...oh well!**

 **Also please review guys, I won't bite!**

 **Thanks to Nachtfuchs for reviewing! I'm so glad you like it and thanks for reviewing every chapter so far!**

 **Also thanks to FeebleHearts for reviewing. NP! I'm glad you enjoy this!**

 **Thanks to Black Hearts24, FAIRY4LIFE, SecretAddition, and xMiyanzono for favoriting! Also thanks to any followers!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Letter!

Makarov had awoke early in the morning. He had been resting in bed for the past three hours due to Porlyusica's orders. It was hard to believe that he had been asleep for a full day and a half and that the battle with Phantom had taken place two days ago, the day before yesterday. He was furious when he found out Phantom had successfully captured Lucy. Of course, he didn't cast any blame toward his children. After he had been knocked out, there was no way they had any chance to win against Jose. He could only be glad no one was injured to seriously. Even Erza and the Shadow Gear Team, who had the worst of the injuries, were fine. The only problem was that everyone blamed themselves for Lucy's capture. This, of course, was understandable. He could see the pain in Mira's eyes when she told him about how she failed to keep Lucy safe. The strain in Erza's voice when she came to congratulate him on his successful recovery. Makarov blamed himself of course. The fact that he had been put out of the battle by some trivial air user, he felt so ashamed. He wanted more than anything to go after Lucy, however, he couldn't yet. Erza had informed him that some mages from the Council would arrive the next day to talk to him. They had demanded a letter to be when Makarov awoke so Mira would send one later that dat. Apparently they had been waiting for the past two days for him to wake up. _Typical Council_ _members_ , he thought. Now he would have to explain all the damage caused. Oh and fines… He groaned at the thought of what the amount might be. He was deep in thought, wondering if there was anyway he could convince the Council not to disband the guild or to show mercy when Mira walked in.

"Master?" she asked carefully.

He looked up. "Yes?"

"A letter arrived for you," she gulped. "The envelope doesn't say who it's from, but I think it's from Lucy. I recognize the handwriting."

Makarov jumped up at this. He grabbed the letter from the she-devil and tore it open. Hands shaking he read the letter, his face growing white with every word he read. When he reached the end, he looked furious. He stood in silence, trembling for a moment, anger in his eyes, and then looked up. His face suddenly cleared and looked pensive.

"Is Natsu here?" he asked.

Mira nodded. "He's probably at Lucy's apartment worried out of his mind. Erza's with him still, making sure he doesn't run off."

Makarov nodded. "Good," he said offhandedly. He stared at the wall, deep in though for a moment. Suddenly, he looked up at Mira and said, "Call a guild meeting. We need to discuss

Lucy's letter."

About half an hour later, the guild hall was filled. Everyone was talking quietly and the guildhall doors were closed; a sign to show anyone on the outside not to intrude. Natsu was tied up in corner, a rag over his mouth as if not to make an ruckus. Sitting nearby was Erza, a smug grin over her face seeing as she had gotten to knock him out for the way over to the guildhall. Gray sat next to her, an amused smile on face for getting to witness the scene before him. Suddenly, Mira cleared her voice and Makarov jumped on the bar; the place he always stood for their meetings. The guildhall immediately quieted. Makarov held the letter in his hand by his side and cleared his throat.

"As you all know," he said. "A very dear member, Lucy, was taken two days ago by Phantom Lord." Everyone looked down at this statement, feelings of shame for failure to take care of their guildmate washed over them. "However, don't worry. She is safe. A letter arrived from her today." Natsu, who had been hanging his head dejectedly, shot his head up at these words. Everyone immediately looked up expectantly. Makarov held the letter in front of him and cleared his throat. His voice shaking, he started to read.

Fairy Tail,

If you are receiving this letter when you are supposed to, it has been two days since the Phantom attack. I dearly hope everyone is alright. Don't worry about me, Phantom did as they promised and brought me straight to my father's estate. I'm alright, I've been locked in my bedroom all day and a doctor will attend to my injuries later today. They aren't too serious and I'll be fine. I'm very worried about you all though. Everyone received serious injuries and it was all my fault. I'm so sorry and I hope you can all forgive me. Because of this, I'm going to have to ask you not to come for me. My father sent for me because he wants to marry me off in order to expand his business. He will do anything within his power to keep me here, even destroying Fairy Tail. And after the battle with Phantom, I'm sure no one is in shape to fight more battles. I don't want everyone to risk their lives and family for me so I've decided to stay and get married. His name is Sawarr Julenelle and he is the prince of Sawalu. He is an old perverted man whom I've only met once but don't worry, I'm sure I'll be able to find happiness with him. Two days from now, he and his family will come to visit for a party and then take me back to Sawalu for the wedding. Now I have to spend the next two days studying their customs and preparing myself for the wedding so I'll be very busy. Since I probably won't see you guys anymore, I'm just going to say how I feel in this letter.

Cana,

You have been a great friend to me this whole time and I will miss our drunk conversations!(even though you were the only one drunk) You may act like you don't care but you are a natural born leader, I know it. I saw how you led everyone in the battle, I know you will amount to great things. Stay strong!

Mira,

You have been like an older sister to me. I loved looking at your photo shoots before I joined the Fairy Tail and had always dreamed of meeting you. You are as funny and sweet as I imagined and have loved all our conversations. Take care of everyone for me, you are the basically the older sister of Fairy Tail who we all love.

Levy,

I'm so sorry for the torture you went through. Hopefully by the time this letter is received, you and your team will be fine. I've loved having you as my close friend and I'm sorry I won't be able to finish my book for you to read. I left my draft in my room and although you claim not to be a good writer, I want you to finish it for me please. Thanks for being my fellow nerdy reader!

Erza,

From the moment I saw you, I could sense your power. You are so strong and pretty and I can only hope to be like you one day. Please keep everyone safe, I'm counting on you. I would tell you to go easy on Gray and Natsu, but who am I kidding? They need to be kept in check! I've loved having on missions and I felt so honored at the opportunity to fight along your side. You're like an older sister to me!

Gray,

Take it easy on Natsu. I know he acts like a jerk and child but he's really sweet. I know there's no way to stop you two from fighting, but just promise me that you two won't destroy the guild. I'm really going to miss you and your stripping habit. I know I always complain about it but it's really grown on me and it won't be the same without it. I know you have a sad past but promise me you'll keep fighting. You're the brother I never had!

Happy,

I'll miss you so much Happy. You are so sweet and funny and I'm glad to be your friend. I'll miss your constant teasing and it will be so quiet without you. I will think of you anytime I see a fish now. I'm pretty sure I left some in my fridge if you want to help yourself. Take care of Natsu for me!

Natsu,

I don't know what to say to you. You're my best friend and I've loved spending all my time with you. I would never take back any of our memories, no matter how scary they might seem. Without you, I would've never joined Fairy Tail. You helped me so much grow as a person and in ways you will never know. I can only hope you won't forget me. You fought hard against Gajeel and please don't blame yourself for my capture. I'm so sorry you were injured because of me tho.

I'm afraid I might never see you guys again and although the time I spent in Fairy Tail was small, I've enjoyed every second and will miss you all immensely.

Love,

Lucy

There was silence in the guild hall. Everyone seemed in shock. Cana, for once, had put down her beer, a tear in her eye at Lucy's kind words. Mira, of course, was sobbing behind the bar while Elfman tried to console her. From their corner, Levy was making an unintelligible noise while her team was also trying to comfort her. Gray and Erza seemed furious and ready to kill while Natsu had motionless on the floor by Happy's side. Makarov, however, stared at the letter, a tear forming in his eye.

"Well, you all heard our guild mates wishes. She wishes to be left alone and normally we would respect that...BUT I SAY OTHERWISE!" he shot up. "While Lucy's consideration toward us is very kind. We will not let her suffer. It is obvious is is willing do do these actions just for our safe but as a member of our family, it is our job to make sure she is happy!" The energy in the room immediately increased after this as everyone jumped up excitedly.

"We will select a team to go after her. In her letter, Lucy said there will be a party two days from when she is writing this, that's tomorrow. I think it is best that the team goes tries to blend in during the party. It will be so crowded that night so I believe it will be easier to be unnoticed. Now we need to figure out-"

"I'LL DO IT!" Natsu shot up from his pole. He had somehow managed to untie his hands. "LET'S GO, HAPPY!" Natsu's cry rang through the air.

"Aye, sir!"

They sprinted for the door. However as soon as they approached the door, it opened. A woman dressed in all blue appeared. She had blue hair styled in what looked like a medieval bob with a black hat on top. She also wore long elegant blue dress and had a pink parasol hanging next to her despite it being hot outside. As Natsu skidded to a stop right in front of her, she let out a small shriek of surprise. Natsu fell on the floor right in front of her.

"Who are you?" Natsu asked as he looked up.

Juvia looked away bashfully. "May Juvia come in, sir."

Makarov stared at her while rubbing his chin. "Of course my child."

Juvia flinched at this and slowly walked inside toward the bar, melting under all the stares and whispers.

"Wait, I recognize you. Aren't you with Phantom?" Makarov asked suspiciously when she arrived at the bar.

Juvia flushed at this and opened her mouth to speak when Gray suddenly approached her.

"You're right, Master," he said, staring at her. "She is one of the Elemental Four, the water mage. I fought her during the battle."

If Juvia's cheeks could turn any more red, they did. She jumped when she heard Gray speak and immediately looked up at him, eyes bulging out of her eyes.

Gray immediately jumped back when he noticed her stares. He immediately looked away blushing as Master cleared his throat.

"What do you want here?" his voice sounded neutral but anyone could see the coldness in his eyes.

Juvia took a few steps back and looked at the ground. Shaking, she whispered, "J-Juvia would like to apologize. J-Juvia realizes how she hurt people and greatly regrets it. She didn't want to hurt anyone. Juvia had to so her only family wouldn't kick her out." A tear fell from her face.

Makarov looked at her, his eyes softened a little at this. "That's no excuse my child."

"Juvia knows. That's whys she is here. To make up for her actions, Juvia will tell you where Lucy-sama is. She will also tell you if you go after her, to be careful."

Natsu, who had been sitting on the floor the whole time asked "What do you mean."

Juvia turned around and looked at him. "Mr. Heartfilia didn't only hire Phantom to capture Lucy, but to to guard her at a party. Juvia does not know why, she only knows that Master Jose and Gajeel-sama will be with her."

Natsu shot up at this. "Wait you mean I'll get another shot to fight iron breath? YES!"

Gray cleared his throat and took a step forward. "I think you mean we, obviously Erza and I will accompany you if course," he grinned. "We want to help Lucy of course." He didn't seem to notice the hearts in Juvia's eyes.

"Of course," Erza said smiling. "Lucy is our friend."

"Don't forget me!" Happy shot up from his position and sat on Erza's head.

Natsu smiled. "Of course we wouldn't forget you, little buddy."

Makarov smiled. "It's settled. You four will go after Lucy and will stick with the original plan of blending in at the ball. The rest of the guild and I will stay to deal with the Council when they arrive tomorrow." He looked pale as he said that. "If you four are to make it to Lucy in time before the ball, you must leave soon."

"We will leave soon," Erza said as she turned to Juvia. "Now Ms. Locksar," Juvia flinched at her kind words. "Could you kindly tell us where Lucy is at?"

A few hours later the four were in a small town by the Heartfilia Estate. It was really dark and Natsu seemed out of it from the train ride. Erza and Gray decided it was too late to do anything so they rented a room from a small hotel. However when they settled down in the room, Natsu seemed to come out.

"Wait no, I want to go after Lucy right now," Natsu said, he started to get up.

Erza pounded him on the head. "No. You heard what Master said and we don't know our way around the town."

"Besides," Gray chimed in. "We don't know where in the mansion Lucy would be and she is probably asleep. We have to wait till tomorrow at the party."

"Ok, makes sense," Natsu said, surprising everyone.

"Wait, you aren't going to argue back?" Gray asked suspiciously.

"No, it makes sense. Whatever is best for Lucy," Natsu said, evenly.

Erza was still suspicious tho. She started him down while wiggled around under the pressure. Suddenly she turned around. "Good," she said satisfied. "Now let's all go to sleep."

So Natsu pretended to sleep like everyone else. However, when he was sure both Gray and Erza had fallen asleep, he tiptoed to Happy's position by the window and gently prodded him awake.

"What? Natsu?" Happy groaned sleepily.

Natsu shushed him. "Hey, little buddy. We're going after Lucy now. I can't wait. C'mon."

Happy seemed excited by this. He immediately flew up, eyes completely awake. Natsu slowly opened the window and Happy carried him as they quietly flew out into the night.

* * *

 **Hey guys. I know it's been over a month and I am so sorry for that. I wanted to post over my winter break but the holidays were super busy and then I got really sick and then school started. So...ya. I'm really sorry. Now that I'm back into the swing of things at school, I'll try and post more often. The story is about halfway done tho.**

 **Anyway on a different note, it's my birthday. *rings a small bell* Yaaay. I'm seventeen and I feel really old. Help**

 **Thanks to Black Hearts24, FAIRY4LIFE, SecretAddition, and xMiyazono for favoriting! Also any followers!**


	6. Chapter 6: Rescue?

They had been running for at least half an hour at this point. After flying around for awhile, Happy had gotten tired of carrying Natsu so he set him down and was now sleeping on his head. Now he was endlessly running around corners and corners of the town. It was huge and it definitely didn't help that every building looked the same. Worse of all, he couldn't seem to get his partner's sense. The familiar scent of roses was nowhere to be seen. Well smelled. He couldn't believe that they hadn't found Lucy's mansion yet. Seriously, wasn't it supposed to be big? An hour of searching had proved to be pointless and it all seemed hopeless.

"Natsu?" a tired voice spoke up. Happy had awoken.

"Ya? What's up, little buddy?"

"Maybe we should ask for directions?"

"Nah, we're good! Besides, it's really late. Who would be up at this…" he stopped. He smelled something. Suddenly he bolted his head up. Was that….FOOD? He was sooo hungry. It had been how long since he had eaten? At least two hours right? After all, Gray had been upset for eating his snack right before bed. He took a step forward…

 _No! Natsu, what are you doing?_ He scolded himself. _How can you be thinking of food now? You need to find Lucy's scent…wait._ He smelled it. Roses. The scent of Lucy. He took off running in the direction.

"Uh Natsu, where are we doing?" asked Happy.

"Don't worry about it, little buddy. I found her scent! She's actually not to far from here."

He ran for what seemed like ages when suddenly he came across a huge house. Probably the largest building he had ever seen. Way bigger than the guild hall. Maybe as big as a castle? Despite it being dark outside, he could see how elegant it was. Cream white, large pillars, more than enough windows for climbing! The thing must've been at least ten stories! Ok, well probably not that large but still pretty huge!

"Alright!" Natsu shouted. "Now we'll run through the doors, demand for Lucy, and then.."

"Woah, woah, hold on Natsu!" Happy broke in. "We can't just go running in there. And you need to be quiet. It's late. People are probably asleep. Besides, I doubt we can just take her. Her father did seem pretty mean, after all. Let's just find her window and climb in."

Natsu shrugged. "Alright, whatever you say. I wonder which her window is." He started to walk around the building sniffing around. It was hard to tell where Lucy's scent was coming from seeing that there was so many windows. There was a weird scent, maybe soap, that was covering hers. It smelled like someone really liked to clean.

Suddenly he found it. There was a scent of roses from around the corner. He ran around and looked up. It was coming from the window directly above him on the highest floor.

"I found her, Happy," Natsu whispered. "She's on the highest floor. I'll just climb the windows." He quietly climbed up till he reached Lucy's window. He looked inside. There was a light on but no one seemed to be in it...wait. He saw her in the corner. She was sitting behind a desk reading a book. Typical Lucy. He smiled and opened the window to climb in. He silently opened it and jumped onto her floor. She didn't seem to hear anything until Happy spoke up.

"LUUUUCCYYYYY!" Natsu cringed at how loud he was. For someone who had just been telling him to be quiet, Happy was being pretty loud.

Lucy jumped and whirled around. A shocked expression on her face as the blue cat flew into her chest.

"Hey, Luce!" Natsu said perkily. "We've come to take you home." She didn't seem to hear him however, seeing as she was still gaping at the blue cat crying into her chest. While Lucy gathered herself, Natsu looked around the room. It was really spacious. There was a huge mirror on wall with a brown wardrobe next to it. There was a wall filled with bookshelves with a desk shoved in the corner. There were more than enough chairs and sofas that looked comfy with a plush carpet underneath them. His eyes darted, however, was the huge fluffy bed in the middle of the room. It looked so comfy. The sight of it reminded him of how tired he was. Maybe he would take a small nap, he did deserve it, afterall. He was about to step toward it when Lucy's voice rang out.

"Natsu? Happy? What on earth are you doing here!?" He turned around to face her. There was such confusion in her voice and some..anger? But that was silly. They came to rescue her. Why on earth would she be angry?

"We're here to rescue you, silly." Natsu jumped forward and grabbed Lucy's arm. She yelped as he pulled her forward. "We are going back home. To your real home, the guild." He started to walk towards the window, but was stopped short in his tracks when he felt a pull against him. He turned around. Lucy had freed herself from his grip and was backing up from him. She looked really confused, even a little sad.

"I'm not going back, Natsu."

Natsu gaped at her. Confusion set on his face as he stared at her. Happy, who was back in Lucy's arms, looked up at her confusion as well.

"What do you mean you aren't going back?" Natsu asked. It didn't make any sense. He knew how much Lucy loved the guild. Why wasn't she returning?

"I..I can't." She looked down at the floor. She spoke quietly, a touch of sadness in her voice. "I have to stay here with my father." She gently set a crying Happy on the floor. "You guys should head back to the guild though. You may wake up someone and they will find you."

Natsu was shocked at Lucy's words. He knew from her letter that she was worried about the guild, but didn't she know that they would be fine? Afterall, they were a very strong family.

"Is it because of Phantom?" he asked quietly. "Lucy, you don't need to worry about them. They won't come back. In fact, I'm sure the Council will disband them."

Lucy shook her head. "No. It's more than that. If I leave here, my father will do everything in his power to return me. And trust me, he has a lot of power. He would hire guild after guild to destroy you and bring me back. He might even pay off the Council to disband Fairy Tail. I'm sure the Council would be more than happy to comply. Afterall, we both know how much they hate Fairy Tail."

"We'll just beat them up! Like we always do, Luce!" Natsu pumped his arm into the air. "I can beat those bastards by myself."

Happy jumped up at this. "Don't worry, Lucy! Master can handle them. Besides, he was the one who send us here with Erza and Gray. We all want you to come back!"

Lucy blinked. "Erza and Gray are here? Where?"

Natsu shrugged. "They're sleeping. We weren't supposed to come after you until tomorrow during your ball thing or whatever, but I decided it was a stupid idea. Anyways, you don't belong in this stupid house." He beamed and flashed his signature grin. "C'mon, everyone is waiting."

Natsu felt successful. He had known that it might take some convincing to bring Lucy back. Everyone had warned him of this. Afterall, her letter had shown how anxious she was for the guild's safety. He, however, hadn't believed them. He had figured Lucy would immediately come back so he had been surprised when she initially refused. But none of that mattered now. He felt confident that he ensured her the guild would be fine.

He waited patiently for her response but Lucy only turned around. He could hear her shortness of breath and sniffles. She was...wait. Was she going to cry?

Lucy turned back around to face him. His heart sank when their eyes met. Her eyes were starting to get a little red but her face showed no emotion. If anything, her eyes merely seemed to stare into his soul. She looked resolved, determined.

"I'm not going back. I don't belong in Fairy Tail. I'm not who you think I am." She walked over to a picture hanging on the wall that Natsu hadn't noticed. The woman in the photo looked alot like Lucy, yet it wasn't her. Her eyes and smile were very similar to Lucy but she seemed a little older. It suddenly hit him. She must be Lucy's mother. He darted his eyes back towards Lucy and watched as she ran her fingers over the photo. He listened as she continued to talk. "I was stupid to think I could leave all my responsibilities and become a mage. It's not who I am. This," she gestured to the photo, "is who I am. I am Lucky Lucy Heartfilia. I am who my father raised me to be and it is my job to continue his legacy and company. I have a job to do." Her eyes darted to something beside her.

Natsu followed her eyes to find a white dress sitting on a chair. It was a wedding dress. A new anger filled his chest. However, it wasn't directed at Lucy. No, it was toward her father. And this man, Sawarr or whatever his name was. They filled her head with these false thoughts.

"That ridiculous, Lucy," he said calmly. "I dunno what all these responsibilities are but you are whoever you choose to be, and you are a Fairy Tail mage. I didn't ask you to join for no reason." He grinned. "Nah, you're strong, Luce. I can feel your magic and it gets stronger everyday. You are apart of Fairy Tail and my best friend. We need you."

"Ya, Lucy." Happy spoke up, his voice full of spirit. "You are my friend. And besides," he giggled. "Who else will buy me fish?"

Lucy had tears running down her face. She looked away from Natsu and Happy and stared at the floor, her face full of sorrow. Happy was smiling at her, completely sure they had convinced her to come back with them.

"I love you all and you mean the world to me. As much as I would love to go back, I know I can't. I have to keep you guys safe and stop running away from my responsibilities." She turned around. "Give the guild my love."

Natsu was beyond shocked at this point. He had been so sure Lucy would return. He didn't know how else to convince her. He already told her that they would all be safe and how important she was to them. He suddenly remembered something. Her keys! He had completely forgotten that Loke had given him her keys back right before they left. He figured the keys would remind her who she really was.

"What about your spirits, Lucy? They need you." Now he had her attention. She faced him with a look of shock. He smiled, _she must've forgotten about them_ , he thought. "They're right here." He reached into his pocket only to feel nothing. He had forgotten them back at the hotel. "Ah wait, I left them in the room. I'll give them back when we return."

Lucy was silent for a moment and shook her head. "I'm not worthy to be their master anymore. I won't have time anyways." Her voice was shaking. "Do me one last favor, Natsu. Find them a new home. They deserve a good one. And make sure they don't end up in the wrong hands, after all, they are very powerful. Now, goodbye, Natsu." She walked back towards her desk.

Happy spoke up, his voice quiet yet full of sadness. "But Lucy, you are our friend. We need you. I'll miss you so much." Tears were running down his face.

Lucy smiled at him sadly. "You have Natsu, Happy. He's your best friend. Besides, you were fine for years without me. You don't need me. Pretend I was just passing by. I can send you letters though, if you want, but…"

"No." Natsu had enough. He knew Luce was just worried. "You're coming back. I will drag you back if I have to." He took a step forward.

"Natsu, if you lay a finger on me so help me I will call for the guards."

This stopped him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing him. She was threatening him. He knew she wouldn't actually call anyone, but the fact that she had threatened him showed how serious she was. He was about to speak up when suddenly he heard footsteps.

Lucy must've heard them too because she bolted to the door to lock it. When she turned to face him, she looked panicked. "You need to leave now. Someone is coming."

Natsu was about to protest when he felt something grab his shirt. It was Happy. He was lifting him slowly off the ground and heading toward the window. Happy smiled one last time at Lucy before whispering goodbye. Suddenly they were outside. He could Lucy at the window now. She was crying yet smiling up at them and waving. As they flew away he could hear her calling farewell and saying to tell everyone how sorry she was.

When Natsu finally found his voice, he looked angrily at Happy and said "Why did you do that? We left her there!"

Happy looked down at him sadly. "I'm sorry Natsu. We had to leave. Someone was coming and there was no way we could've changed Lucy's mind. You know how stubborn she can be." Natsu's anger evaporated when he saw the tears.

"Don't worry, little buddy. This isn't the last we've seen Lucy. We'll come back with Gray and Erza. I know for a fact Erza will drag her back." He smiled and they flew the rest of the way back in silence.

* * *

 **Hey guys. Sorry it's been so long. Life is busy. Anyways I hope you like today's chapter. I debated awhile on how to write it and chose with Natsu's P.O.V. I also had a lot of fun writing for him. Tell me what you think!**

 **On another note, I saw a review of someone being pretending to a member of TAPIR and saying I am 'a rule breaker.' Anyway I doubt they will see this but if you do, I am so sorry that you have nothing better to do with your time than poorly troll fan fiction and come up with lame insults I mean c'mon, 'rule breaker'? Is that the best you've got? At least come up with an actual insult and a claim that seems legitimate. I'm sorry but you've got to do better than saying I just 'broke the rules.'**

 **Thanks to Black Hearts24, FAIRY4LIFE, NaLuLover28, SecretAddition, bahall1964, and xMiyazono for favoriting! Also any followers!**


	7. Chapter 7: Not Giving Up!

Lucy's eyes fluttered open. She was lying on the floor next to her bed. She must've passed out after crying the previous night. Not that it was anything new. She use to cry herself to sleep sometimes before she had joined Fairy Tail. Groaning, she pulled herself onto her knees and crawled to her window. It was early morning. Good. She had a lot to do that day. Especially since it was the day the Jullenes were due to arrive. Two days later she would be leaving the manor for good. Leaving all her house staff who were her friends. Leaving her family back at the guild. Memories of the conversation between her and Natsu the previous night caused tears to swell in her eyes. She wasn't that surprised that he had come after her. She knew him well enough to know he would do it for any family member. However, she was surprised that Erza and Gray had come with him. She had thought Erza and the Master would understand the situation and let her go. Even Gray should've had the sense to stay put. However, they were in town. Well, maybe not anymore. She hoped she made it clear enough to Natsu that she had no intention of returning. While she knew him to be stubborn, she knew, well hoped, Erza and Gray would come to senses and drag him home. Who knows, maybe even Happy would understand. While this brought her relief and some happiness, she was immensely saddened by this. Her last conversation with her best friend had involved her threatening him. She never even apologized for being a burden. At least she made sure he would give her keys to someone worthy. Her spirits! She never got to say goodbye. She would never see her beloved spirits again. She missed them all. Virgo, Cancer, Plue, Sagittarius, Holorgium, Crux, Lyra, even Aquarius and Taurus. _At least they will have each other_ , she thought. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Ms. Lucy," a familiar voice called out. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, Mrs. Spetto," she called out.

"Breakfast is ready. Would you like it in your room or will you have it downstairs?"

"Actually, I'm not hungry," Lucy called out. She had no appetite after the previous night. "I'm just going to get ready."

"If you're sure," Ms. Spetto said. "Just remember, you have a lot to do today. The party is tonight and you have a list of things to be done today. I'll leave the list our here." With that, she walked away.

The party. Lucy was extremely nervous. She had always dreamed of getting married but never like this. She always thought some prince would come and sweep her off her feet and carry of her off. Okay, it was a little cheesy but to be fair, she loved hearing the fairy tails her mom would read her as a child. The princess would be living some miserable life after the death of one of her parents and then some charming man would come and save her. Lucy's situation was almost the same. Afterall, she hated her life after her mom's death. The only difference was that she was an heiress instead of a princess. Also, there was no charming prince to sweep her off her feet. Afterall, if she remembered correctly, she was twice her fiance's size. Plus, he was old and disgusting. She sighed. She hated the idea of her future. However, if this would save her family, her real family, she was more than willing to do it. They had sacrificed a lot in attempt to keep her from Phantom's clutches. However, they weren't strong enough. So now, she must sacrifice her happiness to save her family. Funny how life works out. One minute you're free and with people you never want to leave. The next, you're running from them to save them. With that, Lucy got up and walked to her closet; ready to start the painful day.

* * *

"You did what?" Erza's voice rang out through the hotel room. She had just punched Natsu through the bathroom door and he was now lying facedown on the floor of the bathroom. Erza and Gray had just woken up a few minutes ago to find a depressed fire breather and cat sulking on their bed. When Erza persistently asked them what was wrong, they finally admitted that they had snuck out to find Lucy. "You disobeyed Master's orders!" she yelled.

"Ow Erza! What was that for?" was his response.

"Idiot," Gray said. He looked amused at the scene before him. "Why would you do that? We agreed yesterday we would sneak in as a team during the party to avoid being caught." Erza was nodding furiously beside him.

"We know," Happy spoke up. He had escaped Erza's wrath since he could fly and was now helping Natsu off the the ground. "We just really missed Lucy and wanted her back."

"Besides," Natsu jumped off the ground. "It was stupid to wait. There was no point, especially since I found her house and snuck in so easily."

Erza was fuming and was about to punch him again when Gray interjected. "Wait, you found Lucy?" Natsu nodded. "Well, where is she?" Natsu suddenly dropped back onto the ground again and Happy flew on top of his head to cry.

"She..didn't come with us," Natsu mumbled, looking away from the two. "She refused to."

Gray and Erza stared at the them surprised as Happy burst into tears.

"What, why?" Gray asked.

"Basically for the same reasons she said in her letter," Natsu muttered as he reached up to grab Happy. "She doesn't think the guild is strong enough to hold up on their own and thinks we safer if she is gone."

Erza and Gray didn't say anything but just looked at each other meaningfully. They knew the Celestial Mage well and had been expecting this. It was one of the reasons why they didn't want Natsu to go alone. He didn't understand her view on the whole situation. They knew that Lucy, who always claimed to be weak despite being in the strongest team, could be really hard on herself and often thought she was burden to the team. However, her heart was still big and she really cared for her friends and would do anything to keep them safe.

"Natsu," Erza said gently, all former hostility gone. "You need to think about the situation from Lucy's perspective. She believes that she is the reason the guild was torn apart. The reason why the Master, you, me and others in our guild were hurt. It's not that she doesn't think the guild isn't strong, in fact, it's the opposite. She sees how strong we all are and doesn't think she can live up to it. She also thinks the guild will continue being attacked as long as she it there. She simply wants us all to be safe. That's why she left."

"Ya," Gray smirked from his spot next to Erza. " Give your teammate some credit. If you weren't so blind, you would notice it's not always about strength."

Natsu glared at Gray. He knew that Lucy was worried for the guild and he knew how low her self-esteem was when it came to her own strength but didn't she see it didn't matter? Part of him was still mad that Lucy saw the guild as unable to handle so many attacks but the way Erza was putting it made more sense. It was just about their safety. Afterall, he knew Lucy liked to avoid fights if they weren't necessary and that was exactly what she was doing here. Natsu walked over to the dresser silently and picked up Lucy's keys. He remembered the conversation he had with Loke when he had given him the keys. He had asked Natsu to bring her back despite being terrified of her. He was still confused why he was so scared of her giving that they had never spoken for longer than 30 seconds but it still seemed nice that he cared about her safety. He pocketed the keys as to not forget them again ad turned to his two friends who were staring at him.

"You're right, I was dumb to think that." He jumped on the bed and grinned, becoming his normal energetic self. "Alright, so what's the plan?"

* * *

"Have you finished everything?"

"Yes, father," Lucy said. It was mid-afternoon and she was standing in her father's office again. She had spent most of the day relearning the important families and studying the Sawalu culture. She had then made sure preparations were ready for the party and brushed up on her 'fancy people skills' as she liked to call it. After a year of being simply Lucy and always casually greeting people, she had to brush up on her formal greeting skills. The only thing she had left to do was get dressed. It was what she was dreading most out of all her preparations. After all, she was to wear one of her mother's old gowns. All her old ones were a bit too small but she was now the same as her mother when she got married. The pink dress was sacred to Lucy and she didn't want to tarnish her mother's memory by wearing to her leaving all her friends/marrying some pervert party. Plus, it hurt to look at because she really missed her mom.

"Good." Her father interrupted her thoughts. "Now go to your room until the celebration starts later tonight."

Too tired to argue, Lucy walked out of the room without any more words.

A few hours later, Lucy was standing in the main ballroom greeting guests. The party had only started around half an hour ago but the room was already full of people who she didn't know. It was weird how the upper class acted. Everyone acted as tho they knew her even if she had never seen them. People would converse with everyone like they were old buds just to show their social class. This was one thing she definitely didn't miss in the year she had been gone. The hours she had spent learning all the important families really payed off because she had been able to recognize the Taziats, the Rubins, Kilaels, and so many other families she had never even heard of. The Julenelles had yet to arrive tho. However, as far as Lucy knew, it was only Sawarr who was coming seeing as he didn't have much family left. She was busy greeting some princess named Hisui when suddenly someone appeared by her shoulder. It was Mrs. Spetto. Lucy was surprised to see her considering she normally wasn't allowed in the ballroom during events.

She grabbed Lucy and muttered into her ear, "you father asked me to tell you that Sawarr has arrived."

Lucy's heart filled with anxiety. She was so nervous. However, she kept her composure and thanked her. Ms. Spetto grabbed Lucy's hand and squeezed it to wish her luck and rushed out of the room, tears swelling in her eyes. Lucy took a deep breath and started roam the ballroom looking for him.

* * *

Natsu, Gray, and Erza had just managed to sneak into the mansion and find the room of Lucy's party. They were all dressed in appropriate attire to try and blend in yet, it was a miracle that no one had been caught considering how loud Natsu was. Happy was waiting outside the house seeing how it would have been weird and distracting for a flying cat to at the party. While had tried to make Happy wait back at the inn, Happy had insisted he come and Natsu had backed him up. Unwilling to argue any more, she reluctantly let them tag along. Now they were hiding in the back off the room trying not to be seen.

"Remember the plan," the scarlet mage whispered. "We are trying to avoid any fight. We just need to find Lucy and convince her she doesn't need to stay."

"Easier said than done," Natsu muttered. Erza ignored him.

"Also remember, Juvia warned us that some members of Phantom would be here. Be careful and avoid them at all costs. Only attack if it is necessary. Understand, Natsu?" she glared at him.

"Ya, ya, I get it," Natsu shot back and with that, he wandered into the crowd to find Lucy.

* * *

 **Hey guys. I know that not many people read this story, but I'm sorry I only update once a month. I wanted to do more but school is just the worst and I hardly have any free time now. However, if I stick to my outline then there are only three chapters left so it's almost done. Also if this chapter seems a little over dramatic, it's because I was listening to random dramatic/sad soundtracks on youtube. It may just seem dramatic to me though.**

 **Thanks to Black Hearts24, FAIRY4LIFE, NaluLover28, Patri36, SecretAddition, bahall1964, and xMiyazono for favoriting. Also any followers!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Party!

Lucy slowly walked through out the ballroom toward where Ms. Spetto has said her fiance was. _Her fiance_. It didn't matter how many times anyone said it. It was hard to imagine that this time last week she was sitting in the guild hall laughing with all her friends. Cana endlessly drinking, Makarov and the guys flirting with Mira, Erza yelling at Gray and Natsu for fighting, Happy constantly teasing her… It all seemed like a dream. The fact that she was about to get married? It was so weird. She had always dreamed of meeting a prince, falling in love, and then getting married, but never like this. This was not anything like her fantasies; she was completely helpless. The only thing she could do now was go along with her father's wishes in order to protect her friends.

She was deep in thought when suddenly a high-pitched, shrill voice called out, "Hello there, Miss Lucy."

She whirled around and frantically scanned for where the voice came from. After a few moments, she saw him. Sawarr Julenelle. She had been so deep in thought that she walked past him without noticing. He was a plump, short, and stout man. His blonde hair was curled right above his ears with black oval shaped glasses covering his black and beady eyes. Lastly, he had a black suit that seemed attached to his skin and a small red crown on his head. The sight of him made Lucy want to throw up. She remembered her first, and what she had hoped would be her last, encounter with him. It was sometime before she ran away, about two years ago. The memory of the encounter was strong and made her cringe. He had been invited over along with a few other important people in order for her father gain connections. During dinner in the first night of his stay, he had stared at her practically the whole time which, of course, made her feel uncomfortable. He had made a few provocative jokes toward her during the course of their meal but no one seemed to notice or care. He even had the nerve to try and court her after words. She remembered the horror when he stated that she was beautiful and had his eyes set on marrying her. Not that he loved her, obviously. He was just interested in the sights. He was known how this, courting beautiful women and trying to woo almost every young woman he came into contact with. How he succeeded, Lucy would never understand. He was nothing but a perverted old man! It was part of his reputation. Yet how her father had no problem marrying his teenage daughter to this filth, Lucy would never know.

This was definitely nothing like her romance novels.

After laying eyes on him, she wanted to run away. She turned around, but before she could take a step, she made eye contact with her father from the other side of the room. He gave her his signature look of I dare you to disobey and walked out of the room without hesitation. Lucy sighed and turned back around to face Sawarr. _You have to do this_ she told herself for the millionth time. _It's for everyone's safety_. She begrudgingly walked toward him and in an unhappy voice muttered a hello. His eyes seemed to sparkle as he looked up at her. She unhappily noticed how much taller she was than him. Definitely over a foot taller.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Lucy," he shrilled. He coughed in an attempt to lower his voice and asked "have you missed me?"

Lucy heard a small laugh from behind him. Her eyes shot up and it was only then that she noticed the woman standing behind him. She was blonde and had a ruby red dress on with her hair curled to one side of her. Lucy looked at her questioningly, wondering who she was. She was about to ask when Sawarr spoke up.

"Devina, why don't you go talk to your friends again. I promise I'll see you again later tonight."He looked at her large breast and Lucy could have sworn she saw him wet his lips. She then realized he had been flirting with another woman right before this. Naturally. She stared at Devina as she giggled, glared for a moment at Lucy, and then suddenly sashayed away toward what must have been her friends. Lucy watched as the lady said something that made her friends giggle, look at Lucy, giggle again, and then walk off with their heads together while occasionally sparing a glance in their direction. Sawarr, who had been looking hungrily after them this whole time, turned back around toward Lucy and smiled at her. She merely gave him a disgusted look. It had never even occurred to her that he would still court women while they were engaged or married. She couldn't say she was surprised tho. She would have to prepare herself for the affairs because she knew he would never love her and she sure as heck would never love him. And to think she would have to have a son with this man! This thought made her feel nauseous. Never had she ever heard of someone going into a marriage knowing there would be affairs.

However, Lucy was suddenly pulled out of thought when he suddenly lunged for her. Lucy gave a small shriek and danced out of his range. Realizing what he had been about to do, Lucy quickly took a few steps back and hugged herself for protection as he started to pull himself off the floor. Some people who had been standing near by rushed to his aid, completely ignoring Lucy. Thankful for the small commotion, Lucy took the opportunity to rush away. She had enough of the party and decided to go back to her room. She would deal with the consequences, as long as she got away. However, as she approached the door to leave, she saw a flash of pink in the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracks. Could it be? There was no way. She had told him to leave, Happy had even flown him away. There was no way he would have come back. Lucy started to walk in the direction that she saw the pink. Part of her desperately wanted to see her partner while the other half wanted him to be safe at the guild and away from her father. She had only been walking for about a minute when she was suddenly pushed into an isolated corridor. Before she could scream, a large hand was clamped over her mouth. She tried to pull it off and kick her captor when a voice made her stop.

"Lucy, stop, stop. It's me."

This made her pause. She looked up at who was holding her. It was Natsu, of course. However, what stopped her from giving him one of her famous Lucy kicks was his attire. For some reason, he was wearing a suit with nice shoes. The only thing that was normal was his crazy pink hair which, of course, was sticking out. Seeing that Lucy had calmed down, Natsu let go of her and took a few steps back. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever when she suddenly spoke up.

"Natsu, why are you still here?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

He waited for a minute to respond. "Lucy, I'm not leaving you here, you are my best friend and partner. I know you are staying for the good to guild, but we need you. We are willing to take on anything for our family."

Lucy started to tear up. "I know that, Natsu, but you don't know my father. He is persistent. If I leave, he will do anything, and I mean anything, to get me back. Phantom Lord was nothing compared to what he is capable of. I know how strong Fairy Tail is, really I do, but I don't want anyone else to be injured for me." She opened her mouth to say more when suddenly Natsu pressed something into her hand.

"Here, Lucy," Natsu said. "Loke gave these to me to give back to you. He found them and then asked me to return them to you. See? Even he wants you back. And he is terrified of you. Still don't understand why tho…"

Lucy looked down and saw her keys. All nine of keys were there. Aquarius, Cancer, Taurus, Virgo, Crux, Lyra, Horologium, Plue, even her new one Capricorn. As Lucy stared at them she felt a warmth in her hand. Each key emitted a radiance of warmth and calmness, even Aquarius's. She could tell tell that they wanted her to go with Natsu back to Fairy Tail. This shocked her. After all, she had figured they were mad at her, especially Aquarius, for dropping and losing them. Or even if they weren't, they would at least realize how unsafe it was for everyone if she would return. Clearly no one agreed with her.

She was mulling over how to get out of this situation when Natsu whispered "Please come back, Lucy. We all miss you. Your spirits, Mira, Makarov, Erza, Gray, Happy, and I. It will be so quiet without you and I'll be alone on my missions, again."

Lucy looked up at him in surprise. She was about to point out that he still had Happy when she realized his eyes were wet. He was...crying? Yes, he was crying. Lucy didn't know how to handle it. In all her time with Natsu, she had never seen him cry. He was always so strong and happy, lifting everyone's morale and making sure his family was happy. But now to see him crying, Lucy realized just what she was doing.

"Oh, I see you found her, Natsu," a voice spoke up.

Lucy looked up to see Gray and Erza standing behind Natsu. Gray wearing an outfit similar to Natsu's and Erza had a pretty maroon dress. Her face dropped in surprise.

"We saw Natsu approaching Lucy while we were looking for her and decided to follow you two," Erza said smiling. She looked back and forth between Lucy and Natsu and frowned. She stared at Natsu, whose tears had magically disappeared the second Gray appeared, for a few seconds and then turned to face Lucy. She frowned. "Umm, what's happening."

Natsu faced her and replied "I just about convinced her to come back with us."

Gray smiled. "Oh thank goodness, I was getting worried that it would be impossible to convince her to come back. After all, we all know how stubborn she can be," he grinned.

Erza smiled approvingly. "Good," she said. "Now let's leave before we are caught." She turned around and started to head toward the exit.

However, Lucy spoke up before she could take a step. "Wait, I haven't agreed yet."

Erza turned back around to face her as Gray asked "Why not."

"Because it will be safer for all you. You two understand, right? After all, you were merely killed all because of my selfish actions, Erza."

Erza laughed. "Please, it will take a lot more to kill me and Master, Lucy. Don't worry." And besides, we are your friends and will do anything for you."

"Ya," Gray spoke up. "We want you to come back."

"But, my father.."

"What about him," Gray asked.

"He orchestrated this and will do anything to keep me here. Things worse than Phantom Lord, trust me. He has a lot of connections, influence, and money."

Erza thought about this for a moment. "We'll figure something out. But, Lucy, can't you see that you are worth the trouble. Don't you see how everyone is unhappy and is doing everything they can to make you come back. Makarov had us come here just to save you. You clearly are unhappy here. Your letter made it that obvious. And we will not let you suffer for our sake. We need to stick together."

"Besides, can't you see how sad Salamander is?" Gray snickered. "He wants you to come back."

"Shut up," Natsu muttered, staring at the floor.

Lucy looked at the faces of her friends. Erza, Gray, Natsu..they all really wanted her to come back. They really did care. And they were right, she was very unhappy. She hated thinking about her future since she didn't see any happy ending. With that, she made up her mind.

"All right," Lucy agreed. "I'll go back to guild. But, if anything really bad happens, I will return here to marry Sawarr without a second thought."

Erza smiled. "Deal. Now come on." With that, she grabbed Natsu by the arm and pulled him away toward the exits, ignoring his protests while Gray and Lucy followed behind, laughing.

From in front, Erza turned around to look at Lucy. "You say your father is the one threatening you and the guild right? Maybe I should go in there and scare him a bit. Show him what Fairy Tail is made out of."

Lucy laughed and was about to exit when she felt an rough arm grab her. She yelped and looked up, but when she saw you it was, she gasped in horror.

"Why, Miss Heartfilia," Gajeel said, an evil smirk on his face. "Just where do you think you're going?"

* * *

 **Hey guys. So there is just two chapters left. I really wanted to update twice in April but the amount of school projects I had is crazy. School ends for me in less than a month so I might just end up waiting to post again till afterwards. Who knows.**

 **Thanks to Black Hearts24, FAIRY4LIFE, NaLuLover28, Patri36, SecretAddition, Zoeyoong, bahall1964, and xMiyazono for favoriting. Also any followers!**


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